The Chatsubo, or simply The Chat, is the bar made famous by William Gibson in his 1984 cyber-punk masterpiece NEUROMANCER. The Chat is where the cyberjocks, razorgirls and joeboys came to gather information and kick back. Please feel free to do the same here.
by JoAnn Roberts - CyberQueen
"Everything begins in mysticism and ends in politics." -- Charles Peguy
When it rains, it pours. The International Foundation for Gender Education (IFGE) continues to have its share of problems. According to one IFGE board member, the Massachusetts Department of Employment and Training placed a lien against the beleaguered organization for $37,000 in unpaid payroll taxes and fines. IFGE hired a lawyer and the sum was knocked down to about $7,000. That's a big difference, but even so it ain't chicken feed and it's more money wasted that could have been spent on developing community resources.
There's good news and bad news about the Winslow Street Fund (WSF) fracas. The good news is -- Abby Saypen will be stepping aside as head of the WSF trustees. The bad news is -- not much else has changed. Word is that Michelle Miles, a long-time WSF trustee, will take over as chair, and maybe another outsider will be added to the board of trustees to replace whistle-blower Keeri Reeder, but IFGE will retain firm control of the fund.
This month Dallas Denny steps down as Executive Director of the American Educational Gender Information Service (AEGIS). Ms. Denny is succeeded by no one because no one wanted the job. I had the pleasure of working with Dallas for several years when I was chair of the AEGIS board. She is one of the most intelligent, energetic and resourceful people in the transgender community. Unfortunately, there is only one Dallas Denny and she is nearly burned out. It is a shame that a successor could not be found for Dallas, but in all honesty, there is little to recommend anyone to the job: long hours, lots of work and no pay. It's a wonder Dallas lasted this long. There are rumors about AEGIS merging with It's Time America!. I don't think it will happen, but one never knows.
Last month saw the passing of a major figure in the transgender community. Betty Ann Lind died after a prolonged illness. She'd been in poor health for several years and had not been active in the community. Lind was "godmother" to nearly as many East coast transgendered people as Virginia Prince is to West coast folks, having been involved in most every major transgender organization and many smaller ones. Betty Ann was a long-time member of the Outreach Institute board and for a time she was the coordinator of Fantasia Fair. She was an original appointed board member of IFGE and served through the early 1990's. She was the Executive Secretary of the Delta Chi Chapter in Alexandria, Va., which has since evolved into the TransGender Education Association (TGEA). She was also founder of the Phi Chapter of the Gateway Gender Alliance. The Phi Chapter eventually became the South Jersey Chapter of Renaissance. Lind was also editor of a small magazine, Our Sorority, and author of many fantasy stories published through Reluctant Press.
Speaking of FanFair, I heard from several sources that the Crown & Anchor in Provincetown, Mass., burned down. Both the C&A, Whaler's Wharf, and two other buildings burned to the ground. The C&A played a key role in Fantasia Fair for many years as the site of the Talent Show and the Costume Fantasy Ball. It was also one of the leading landmarks in Provincetown. I will forever have one of my fondest memories as MC of the FanFair Follies at the C&A.
Call for papers for the Third International Congress on Sex & Gender, An Inter Disciplinary Conference trAnsGENDER AGENDA for the end of the millennium. At Exeter College, Oxford University, 18th - 20th, September 1998. Keynote Speaker: Prof. Louis Gooren, Endocrinologist and head of the Gender Clinic at the Vrje University Hospital, Amsterdam. Call for Papers: Medicine, The Arts, Law, Social Sciences, Health Care, History, Cultural Studies, Education, Psychology Papers on any aspect of study of transgender, transsexuality and related aspects of sex and gender are welcomed. Titles and an abstract of maximum 200 words should be sent by the 15th May 1998 to: Dr Stephen Whittle, PFC, BM Network, London WC1N 3XX, Tel: +44 (0) 161 247 6444 Fax: +44 (0) 161 432 8454, or email to: Cong.papers@pfc.org.uk.
I hear that GenderPAC is staging another lobby day in Washington, D.C., this month. The feedback I'm getting from people is, shall we say, unflattering toward the organization and its founder Riki Wilchins. This year's activity was billed by the tRikster as lobbying for gay, lesbian, bi, trans, intersexed, etc. Many trans-identified people do not care to be pushed so far down the list, especially since it was trans-people who backed tRiki and the initial creation of GPAC. GPAC never really caught on with the community and stumbles along with little support because it's focus is so diffuse. It is hard to understand exactly what they're lobbying for. Last year drew 40% fewer people than the previous year. This year isn't expected to even do that well.
Did anyone else notice there were two different covers for Allure magazine last month? The version that subscribers received in the mail showed Friends' Jennifer Aniston standing. The cover on the supermarket edition showed Aniston in a bust shot. Does anyone know if this happens very often? I've seen multiple covers on the same issue of TV Guide before but never on a fashion magazine.
I found this fabulous store on the Internet called The Ultimate Diva. It has a magnificent selection of glamorous women's apparel including hundreds of beaded gowns, wigs, shoes, gloves, feathers, boa's and more. If you're looking for a glamourous evening gown, especially if you are a large girl, go to www.ultimatediva.com and check out the selections. Most of the dresses are available up to size 20, and some larger with very reasonable prices. If you visit their web site, please tell them I sent you and leave a message for Mercedez, TheDiva@ultimatediva.com. If you're not on the net, contact them at The Ultimate Diva, 891 Post St. Ste 104, San Francisco CA 94109. Call 1-888-556-3482 and thell them you saw it in TGForum.
I mentioned Revlon ColorStay and its special remover a while back. Then I received this email from reader Jane, "I've been using Revlon ColorStay foundation exclusively for more than a year. The goop I remove it with was suggested by a cosmetic manager where I shop and works well. It is Unscented Albolene Liquefying Cleanser. After rubbing it on the skin and towelling off the makeup, I use Sea Breeze on a washcloth to cut the remnants of the Albolene." Thanks, Jane, for sharing that info. If you have a tip you want to share, send it along.
I'm passing along this little warning from another of our readers: "You may want to warn the girls about the Vault in N.Y.C. Four of us went there last week and after paying an $80 cover charge we were searched. The search included all private parts! And then, as soon as we got inside, the low-lifes in the place demanded that we show them our assets. All security said was, what do you expect the way that you guys are dressed, and then apologized to the low-lifes for our behavior! This has to be the dirtiest, nastiest club in N.Y.C." Gee, things sure have changed. When I visited the Vault in the early 90's we got in for free.
I'll be in San Francisco at the end of this month for the Cal Dreamin' convention and I'm hoping to have time to track down the drag-oriented pin ball machine called Go Girl. In order to play Go Girl, you have to step into a pair of 6-inch red spiked heels, while a crossdressed Ken doll spins as the ball comes into play. Some of the knock-down targets are notorious homophobes like Jesse Helms, Lou Sheldon and Fred Phelps. As you play, the game encourages you with words of encouragement like, "She is on fire" or, "Oh Honey, your lipstick is smudged" from celebrity drag queens. It also includes some deliberate changes from standard pinball vernacular like "Same Queen Again" instead of Free Game or Replay. So far as we know, there is only one Go Girl in existence. If you want more info, visit www.exo.net/michaelb/gogirl/gogirl.html.
If you're going to be at Cal Dreamin, come look for me, Cindy & Jamie. We'll all be there and we're going to host a cocktail party Thursday or Friday evening. Look for an announcement when you get there.
Several people have asked me about heels for the Spring and Summer seasons. The word on the street is Sabrina. The name comes from the eponymous movie and the style of shoe worn in the 1954 flick by Audrey Hepburn. The heel is lower and wider at the base. A few seasons ago it was the same style but called the Louis after Louis XIV. If, however, you insist on wearing those stilettos of last season, take these hints to heart... wear them for only a few hours a day... take your shoes off while seated... don't dance in spikes... stretch your leg muscles with lunges... try writing the alphabet with your foot (rotates the ankle through a full range of motion.
She's gorgeous. She only wears couture. She's only 2 years old. She's Gene Marshall, the most sophisticated doll to hit the scene since Barbie. Gene is taller than Barbie at 151/2 inches and much better dressed. She retails for about $80 and each of her outfits sell for about $35 making her easily collectible. Each outfit, sold separately, follows Gene's fictional career as a movie star from her discovery as an usherette to her latest film role. Gene was created by Mel Odom, a well-known commercial artist in the 70's and 80's. While her sales aren't anywhere near those of Barbie, she is extremely popular and drew a crowd of 300 fans at a recent Gene convention in Newark, New Jersey. An auction of one-of-a-kind Gene dolls collected close to $30,000 for charity. So, she's hot right now. Gene is distributed by the Ashton Drake Gallery in Niles, Ill. Check out Gene online at www.ashtondrake.com/geneindex.html.
There are a number of new nail ideas floating around. One of the hottest is sheer lacquerÑa transparent wash of color. It looks really cool over a contrasting opaque color. Try Maybelline Express Finish Waterpaints. Revlon has added a number of new colors to their Top Speed line of 90 second fast dry polish. Unfortunately, there's still no color that's a real red-red.
Do you know that wearing the right clothes can make you look 10 pounds thinner? It's a trick to master if you struggle with your weight like I do. I've gained nearly a pound for every month I've been off the nicotine sticks. Use these tricks for problem areas.... thick waist -- draw attention away from the waist, wear a straight silhouette... short legs -Ñ "lengthen" them with slim fitting cigarette pants or a hemline that's right to the knee... wide hips -- direct attention to the upper torso with slim sweaters, long jackets and knee-length skirts.
One of the hottest trends for the Summer is the monochromatic eyelid. It's not what you might think. The idea is to have your eyeshadow color match the dominant color in your outfit. (For me, that'd be black or red. Ohmigawd!). The colors that work best are the bright jewel colors like blue, green and yellow. Here's some user guidelines... With really dark shadows, skip eyeliner. With softer shades, keep the line black and very thin... Stick to a single color unless you really, really know how to do contouring with several shades of the same color... keep your face balanced. If you have a dramatic color on your lids, you need color on your cheeks and lips as well.
So, those are my opinions, but, hey, what do I know? I haven't met a mystical politician yet. Comments? Write care of this publication or email them to CyberQueen@cdspub.com.
© 1998 by JoAnn Roberts
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